Italian student murdered in Cairo 'showed signs of electrocution'

Giulio Regeni, 28, disappeared on Jan 25 and his body was found dumped in a
ditch on the outskirts of Cairo two weeks ago

Giulio Regeni was conducting PhD fieldwork in Cairo

By Alice Philipson, Rome

7:22PM GMT 14 Feb 2016

A Cambridge University PhD graduate student who was murdered and tortured in Cairo had seven broken ribs, signs of electrocution to his penis and a brain haemorrhage, it has emerged.

Giulio Regeni, 28, disappeared on Jan 25 and his body was found dumped in a ditch on the outskirts of Cairo two weeks ago.

The Italian national had been researching independent trade unions in Egypt and had written articles critical of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government - prompting speculation that he was killed at the hands of Egypt's security forces.

Egypt's interior and foreign ministers have both dismissed the accusation.

Phd student Giulio Regeni

A senior source at Egypt’s forensics authority, which handed over its final autopsy report to the prosecutor general's office on Saturday, said Mr Regeni had traumatic injuries all over his body.

As well as broken ribs, signs of electrocution on his genitals and bleeding on his brain, his body bore signs of cuts from a sharp instrument suspected to be a razor, abrasions, and bruises.

He was likely assaulted using a stick as well as being punched and kicked, the source added.

Egyptian security stand guard outside the Zeinhom morgue in Cairo, where the body of Giulio Regeni, a 28-year-old Italian graduate student was held Photo: AFP

All three said he had aroused suspicion because of his research project and because of contacts on his phone that allegedly included people associated with the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and the leftist April 6 movement, both considered enemies of the state.

“They figured he was a spy,” one of the officials told the paper. “After all, who comes to Egypt to study trade unions?”